Detroit Lions: 5 Keys To Success In 2015

Dec 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions tight end

Joseph Fauria

(80) is looked over by medical staff after being injured during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

3. The Team’s Best Players Must Remain Healthy

This is true for any team, but it’s crucial that the Detroit Lions keep their star players safe and healthy if they want to have any chance at winning in 2015. The Lions have some of the league’s most talented athletes, but if they can’t play, the team may struggle to fill their roles.

The Lions best offensive weapon, and arguably the best offensive weapon in the league, is 6’5″ receiver Calvin Johnson. Johnson is the NFL’s leader in receiving yards in a season with 1,964 yards in 2012, is second all-time in receiving yards in a single game with 329, and is the only player in NFL history to accumulate 5,000+ receiving yards over a three year period. It’s safe to say that he’s pretty good.

He’s been plagued with various injuries throughout his career, but managed to play in every game but four through the first six years of his career. He has, however, missed a total of five games over the last two seasons.

In 2014, Johnson’s missed games coincided perfectly with an easier portion of the Lions schedule and fellow receiver Golden Tate‘s emergence. The Lions went 3-0 and Tate averaged 116 yards per game in Johnson’s absence, but without that stellar play, the team may have been in trouble. Behind Johnson and Tate, the team’s leading receiver was running back Joique Bell who had 322 yards. Johnson, however, feels confident he mount a strong comeback:

"“What’d I miss, four, almost five games last year? Still came up with just over 1,000. So I still have some production left,” Johnson said, (via Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News). “I feel good, man, I’m in a good place right now. I had a whole offseason to heal up. The biggest difference from last year is, we know the offense way better, simply because it’s the second year in. I can almost say we’re 100 percent better than last year at this time.”"

He hopes to be at full strength, but its tough to know when another injury could wreck havoc among Detroit receivers. Tight end Eric Ebron was expected by many to have a big impact in 2014 as a rookie, but failed to perform after suffering through a hamstring injury most of the season, totaling only 248 yards and 1 touchdown on 25 catches. Fellow tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria also faced injuries in 2014, and none of them were particularly productive.

On the offensive line, starter LaAdrian Waddle is recovering from an ACL tear and will likely miss at least some of the season. Last year’s leading rusher Joique Bell is coming off of knee and achilles surgeries, and 2014 second round pick Kyle Van Noy is hoping to have a comeback season after failing to start a single game at linebacker last year because of injuries.

All over the field, the team’s starters are dealing with or have recently dealt with injuries, and this could spell disaster for the Lions. Even quarterback Matthew Stafford can be considered an injury liability. He’s started ever game for the last four seasons, but before that he played in only 13 games over two seasons due to injuries.

This team seems as though a few tough hits in the wrong places could put it in shambles, and there wouldn’t be many replacements across the board. The only of the team’s three backup quarterbacks who has taken a snap in an NFL game is Dan Orlovsky, who is a 2-10 in 12 career starts, including going 0-7 in a seven game stint with the Lions in 2008.

The team only carried four interior offensive lineman last year, meaning they had starters at center and each guard position, and a single backup, and they may go that route again this year. Injuries in the middle of the line could mean the Lions are scrambling to find a replacement.

At tackle, the Lions generally reserve their fourth roster spot for a developmental player, but injuries have often required those players to contribute. They have been successful with this so far, as their two projected starting tackles were signed into this developmental role, and have since become solid starters, but that may not always be the case.

The defensive line generally rotates 8-10 players, and so is full of depth, but that isn’t always true across the rest of the defense. Injuries to key players in the defensive backfield could mean the team will struggle to contain their division’s elite wide receivers.

The Lions have some elite talent, and this talent has helped them to succeed in recent years. If they want to take that next step, then they need to keep all their best players on the field in 2015, or risk another disappointing finish.

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